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- Information for:
- Future Students
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"We have worked extensively with our suppliers to ensure we are doing a better job of forecasting demand and changes that could be coming down the pipeline in order to meet inventory demands in the future." -- Conor Gattis, Georgia-Pacific
The Harbert College is dedicated to partnering with companies and alumni to engage industry and improve business practice.
Be creative with sourcing and negotiation techniques. Improve forecasting consumer demand. Minimize inventory inaccuracies. These are three areas seasoned supply chain professionals discussed during a special webinar, “Sourcing, Forecasting, and RFID Technology,” presented Wednesday, October 28, by the Harbert College of Business' Department of Supply Chain Management.
Dr. Shashank Rao
The webinar, part of the college’s weekly series “Reshaping Business in 2020,” was moderated by Dr. Shashank Rao, Assistant Professor in Supply Chain Management at the Harbert College of Business and featured the expertise of Justin Patton, Auburn RFID Lab Director, Natalie Walker, Harbert Vendor Relationship Analyst, and Conor Gattis, Group Purchasing Manager at Georgia-Pacific. The entire webinar can be seen here.
How has COVID-19 influenced business planning? “I don’t think we have a better example than the toilet paper crisis that occurred earlier in the year,” said Gattis, a 2013 Harbert College graduate in Supply Chain Management. “For us, it was working together as a company to figure out what kind of resources we can move around to meet customer demands. We have worked extensively with our suppliers to ensure we are doing a better job of forecasting demand and changes that could be coming down the pipeline in order to meet inventory demands in the future. This might include ensuring we have adequate PPE, sharing runtime data, or sharing usage data on spare parts so that we can get ahead of future disruptions.”
Walker, who earned a degree in Supply Chain Management from Harbert College in 2016 and previously worked in sourcing at Cox Enterprises, said it can be necessary to use alternate resources when sourcing products. But what categories should be focused on?
“Maybe it's our technology. Maybe we need to make sure that our infrastructure can handle everyone working remotely,” she said. “Luckily, Cox Enterprises, being a large organization, we were able to maintain systems and everyone can log in from home and beyond the VPN and still working and being productive, not dealing with system failures and issues of that nature. I'm sure that's something a lot of businesses had to rethink. ‘How are we collaborating across our teams?’ Do we need to invest in different platforms to still engage in and work collaboratively together?’”
Patton, an expert in inventory tracking, said that retailers must continue to evolve the supply chain and in-store experience “in a vastly accelerated pace.”
“One of the things that's happening now is inventory control and inventory accuracy,” he said. “Our experience is that store inventory systems are not that great. Those types of things used to be an inconvenience when people went to the store. Now they feel that the store told them something that they didn't follow through on, and everybody's kind of going back and focusing very heavily on inventory accuracy.
“How do we fix this? How do we make the supply chain where it's accessible again? There's a lot of things that are happening in a short time to try to shore up that inventory, get it right, and make sure people have access to it and new ways they didn't in the past. But it's been hard.
“We have a full shift in the supply chain coming in probably in the next five to 10 years, and it's going to be massive.”
The final installment of the webinar series, “Cybersecurity Now & Later,” will be presented by the Harbert College Department of Systems & Technology on Wednesday, November 4 at 11 a.m. CST. Dr. Casey Cegielski, alums Quinn Tucci '19, Woody Parramore '16, Jay James ’15 and Jason McKinley '17 will discuss the importance of cybersecurity, the future of jobs in the field, and more. Register here: https://auburn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d5kxqNRgT0S_NxnvgRTtwA


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Monday, April 1, 2019
Royal Caribbean Is Buying the Bahamas’ Grand Lucayan Resort
By Dana Niland
Grand Bahama’s biggest resort is being sold — to a unexpected buyer.
Cruise giant Royal Caribbean International, in a joint venture with Mexico’s ITM, has signed a letter of intent to purchase the Grand Lucayan Resort.
The deal is expected to transform the resort and develop the harbor in Freeport into a destination product centered around water-based adventure theme parks, according to the government of The Bahamas. Read more >>

domain: news


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The following article is excerpted from
The Industry Standard.
Two TV manufacturers, representing both ends of the price spectrum, have dropped out of the gas plasma TV business.
This week, California-based
Vizio confirmed that it will concentrate exclusively on LCDs.
Pioneer, which made only high-priced plasma sets, announced Thursday that it was getting out of the TV business altogether.
BusinessWeek article reports that Pioneer blamed the economic downturn. The fourth-largest manufacturer of plasma TVs is ceasing in-house development and plans to close down its TV business entirely by March of next year.
According to the New York Times, Vizio cited the limitations of an important sales channel—discount stores such as Costco. Plasma sets don’t look as good under big-box stores’ bright lights, which impacted sales. As a result, the company will “devote all of its available shelf space to the technology that moves off the shelves fastest.”
Interestingly, many consumers are still buying plasma sets. According to a
DisplaySearch report released on Thursday, plasma sales are actually going up while LCD sales are dropping. “Shipments of LCD TVs, the most popular TV technology, fell on a Y/Y (year-over-year) basis for the first time ever, from 8.9M (million) units in Q4’07 to 8.7M in Q4’08. In contrast, shipments of plasma TVs, which are typically cheaper than similarly-sized LCD TVs, increased by 28 percent Q/Q (quater-over-quarter) and 10 percent Y/Y,” a DisplaySearch press release stated.
Regardless of the numbers, when both a high-end manufacturer (Pioneer) and a budget TV brand (Vizio) pull the plug, the future of plasma isn’t looking too bright.


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The former Hibiscus chef has officially opened the doors of his new restaurant Claude Bosi at Bibendum. He talks the 'death' of tasting menus and the theatre of a 1920s dining room trolley
The two-Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant was opened by brothers Albert and Michel Roux in 1967.
Three London restaurants are listed among some of the best dining experiences in the world.
Social media should be a priority for all restaurants, not just those aiming at a younger demographic, new research has suggested.
Spanish chef José Pizarro is to open a new tapas bar, Little José, in London’s Canary Wharf on 6 April.
Pret A Manger is to open its second vegetarian-only store in London next month.
Zuma, the London restaurant opened in 2002 by chef Rainer Becker, has won its court case against a pet food company using the Zuma name.


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Technology Strategy and Architecture
ICT tender support
Global Mobile Consumer Trends 2016
Mobile Consumers Check Their Phones Over 80 Billion Times a Day Worldwide
Intensity in usage and ownership rates of mobile phones are increasing, in some categories more than doubling, pointing to dramatically changing consumer behaviors, and a shift towards non-voice communications such as text and IM.
Tech Trends 2016
Deloitte’s seventh annual Technology Trends report explores eight trends that illustrate ways that today’s CIOs can shape tomorrow for every corner of their organizations.
Virtual reality gear forecast to hit record billion-dollar mark this year, according to Deloitte Global 2016 TMT Predictions
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (Deloitte Global) predicts that virtual reality (VR) will have its first billion dollar year in 2016, with about US$700 million in hardware sales, and the remainder from content.


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If you've watched porn online this year then you should be prepared for your browsing history and name to be made public for the world to see, a US blogger has warned.
Brett Thomas, a San Francisco-based software engineer, has written in a post on his blog that if you've watched porn online in 2015, "even in Incognito mode", then brace yourself because "you should expect that at some point your porn viewing history will be publicly released and attached to your name".
Thomas says that if hackers were able to get hold of a list of logs that can give them an idea of a users' name, plus logs for sensitive websites like porn, then the two could be cross-referenced to put a name to a viewing history.
Those two hacks would have to be large-scale and are unlikely — and both must take place at the same time — but Scott warns that technologists should work harder to prevent such leaks from happening. "All that's needed are two nominal data breaches and an enterprising teenager that wants to create havoc," Scott writes.
In 2014 hackers claimed to have leaked the password details of more than 13,000 Xbox and Playstation users, as well as users of online stores, and there have been regular instances of hackers posting internet users' bank details online.
In these instances users have been easily identifiable, but browser footprints, global identifiers and user tracking mean that even supposedly anonymous internet users could potentially be identified.
In August last year purportedly naked photographs of more than 100 celebrities were leaked online by a hacker onto the website 4chan.
Mr Thomas, a Harvard graduate, argues that "regular people" could be next.
"I think the next big internet privacy crisis could expose the private and potentially embarrassing personal data of regular people to their neighbors," he writes.
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Swiss sink deeper into debt
The number of Swiss facing debt and bankruptcy has increased dramatically over the past few years, reflecting changes in consumer behaviour.
According to the debt collectors’ association, ten per cent of the country’s households owe large sums of money.
Debt collection firms dealt with 1.6 million cases last year – more than double the figure for 2002.
The money owed reached a total of SFr829 million ($690 million) compared with SFr715 million the previous year.
The Swiss have traditionally had a reputation for paying their bills on time, but a survey last year showed that standards were slipping.
The study, conducted by credit management company Intrum Justitia, revealed that the Swiss now take on average 44 days to pay bills which should be settled within 30 days.
Financial worries were given as the chief reason for late payment, and debt experts say the problem is being exacerbated by changing consumer habits.
“Some people feel they must spend money to exist, to be a part of society,” said Pierre Ammann of the Bern-Jura Protestant Social Centre, a charity that also offers financial advice to those in need.
Ammann said fighting debt was becoming increasingly tricky in the face of advertising which encouraged people to buy now and pay later.
According to a recent study by Bern’s School of Social Studies, the number of compulsive shoppers or “shopaholics” has doubled in the past ten years, rising to 275,000, mostly young women.
Another consumer study in 2003 found that shopping was the favourite leisure activity for Swiss teenagers. They spend around SFr600 million each year, making them a lucrative target for advertisers.
Mobile-phone bills and the use of credit and debit cards are seen as two of the root causes of teenage debt.
Many youngsters also wait until the last possible moment before paying their bills – behaviour which continues when they become adults, say experts.
Four out of five heavily indebted people started spending too much before the age of 25.
A national campaign is being launched this week to make young people aware of the risks of overspending. “Max.Money” is aimed at 16- to 25-year-olds and will last for five years.
The trend towards overspending means that individuals burdened by debt no longer pay their taxes or their health insurance premiums on time, if at all.
Taxes are the biggest problem, constituting around half of all unpaid bills. But health insurers also face a shortfall of more than SFr300 million each year, which is usually picked up by the cantons and municipal authorities.
Pierre-Alain Champod of the Geneva Protestant Social Centre said these were all signs that more and more people were struggling to keep their heads above water.
“There are many people with low incomes who are vulnerable to the slightest hiccup in their lives,” he said.
These so-called “working poor” represent about 6.5 per cent of the population, or 220,000 people, according to national statistics.
However, Caritas, Switzerland’s biggest charity, says around 850,000 Swiss residents live on the poverty line.
If somebody fails to pay their bills in Switzerland, their income can be seized to pay back creditors.
This has led to many people getting by on the so-called “basic minimum”, the amount considered necessary to live on that varies from canton to canton.
swissinfo with agencies
Ten per cent of Swiss households are seriously in debt.
In 2003, debt collectors dealt with 1.6 million million claims, versus 588,000 the previous year.
The sums owed last year were worth SFr829 million.
Unpaid health premiums are worth between SFr300 million and SFr400 million each year.
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AIC: Thai plans a barrier to OTT growth
The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), which represents global internet companies, calls the telecom regulator's planned measures a barrier to growth of the over-the-top (OTT) service industry that contributes 36 billion baht and created 30,000 jobs for Thailand's economy.
Jeff Paine, the AIC's managing director, said he was surprised that Thailand is considering measures that could disrupt the growth of the OTT sector.
Internet platforms and services have enabled creative and entrepreneurial locals to build businesses that reach a global audience and marketplace, far beyond Thailand, creating significant value for everyone across the digital value chain, he said.
It's critical that the OTT sector can continue to create such opportunity, especially in line with Thailand 4.0 ambitions to become an inclusive economy supported by creativity, innovation and technology, Mr Paine said.
With Thailand's leadership of Asean this year, the AIC wants the government to take a holistic and long-term view towards digital economy policy, especially in supporting sectors like OTT that have a role to play in national and regional economic success.


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Walton, the local electronic giant, sold out seven lakh units of refrigerator in the domestic market in three months from May to July.
During this period, the online sales of Walton fridge were also drastically increased following the coronavirus pandemic across the country.
According to local fridge traders, about 10 lakh units of fridge were sold during the period between Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha. Of which, 7 lakh units were of Walton brand fridge.
Walton officials said there were some major factors behind the outstanding sales of fridge amid coronavirus pandemic.
Md. Tanvir Rahman, executive director and head of Walton Online Sales Department, said Walton emphasized on strengthening its online sales platform ‘E-plaza’ during the countrywide lockdown to stop widespread of coronavirus transmission.
Online customers were also offered attractive discounts on the purchase of Walton products from E-plaza, he said adding that Walton registered a record growth of 2000 percent in the online sales of Walton brand fridge, television, home and kitchen appliances.
Anisur Rahman Mallik, chief executive officer of Walton Refrigerator Department, said they strongly focused on two important factors that are manufacturing fridge considering the customers’ demand as well as improving the people’s living standard through delivering them products with the world's latest technologies and lucrative designs.
At the production stage of Walton fridge various modern tools including Five S, Six Sigma and Kaizen are being used, he said and added that cutting-edge technologies and machineries are being used in every stages of QC (Quality Control) process, including QA, IQC, PQC and OQC stage for which customers are getting the best fridges of the market.
Also read: Walton shares Tk 77cr profits with employees
Walton Refrigerator’s Product Manager Shahiduzzaman Rana said Walton is displaying and selling over 100 models of frost, non-frost refrigerators, freezers and beverage coolers in the local market.
Frost refrigerators include attractively designed glass doors and BSTI's 'Five Star' energy rated refrigerators with extensive energy saving inverter technology. Refrigerators run smoothly without stabilizers. Prices range from Tk 10,990 to Tk 80,900.


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By Stephen Nakrosis
Synaptics Inc. said Tuesday it plans to acquire assets and manufacturing rights associated with the wireless IoT business of Broadcom for about $250 million in cash.
Under the terms of the deal, Synaptics "will acquire certain rights to Broadcom's existing Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS/GNSS products and business in the IoT market as well as future roadmap devices designed in advanced process nodes," the company said.
Synaptics also said the deal is expected to immediately add to its non-GAAP gross margins and non-GAAP earnings post-close, and expects it will add about $65 million in current annual sales and provide significant revenue growth potential.
Synaptics expects the deal to close in its first quarter of fiscal 2021.
--Write to Stephen Nakrosis at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Taylor Farms, a major producer of value-added fresh vegetables based in Salinas, Calif., won the 12th annual Food Quality Award based on its focus on food safety and quality, employee training, and beneficial use of new technologies such as a clean wash and a data acquisition system. Mark Borman, president of Taylor Farms, and Jason Kawata, director of quality assurance, accepted the Award on behalf of their team on May 1 during a special reception at the 2013 Food Safety Summit in Baltimore, Md.
“I’m super proud of winning the Award and of our team here,” says Borman. “Food service operation customers worry about their own brand, so food safety is paramount.”
Some past winners of the annual Food Quality Award include Hans Kissle, Mastronardi Produce, Michigan Turkey Producers, Fieldale Farms, West Liberty Foods, Hormel Foods, Tyson Food, and Sysco.
“What brings us ahead is our allocation of resources,” comments Angelina Estrada, food safety technical support manager at Taylor Farms, a subsidiary of Taylor Fresh Foods Inc. “A great part of our commitment goes to resources such as equipment, chemicals, R&D, and getting self-motivated, qualified personnel.”
That has impressed David Charest, vice president of bioprotection at DuPont Nutrition & Health, which sponsors the Award. “Taylor Farms has made impressive investments in sustainable technology and training to improve both the quality and safety of their products,” says Charest.
Paul Grothe, produce vice president at Diversified Restaurant Systems Inc., a San Diego food consulting group that is responsible for all Subway store procurement, including Taylor Farms products, agrees. “Taylor Farms is always ahead of the game when it comes to food safety and the quality control aspect of everything they do. They’re probably one of the more innovative in staying on top of food safety,” comments Grothe.
And that goes beyond the company’s own facilities. According to Grothe, Taylor Farms hired a person in California who is solely responsible for going into Subway stores and teaching employees there how to handle produce. “They do a really good job with store visits, getting hands on with franchisees, and helping them tackle problems,” he explains. “There are usually quality problems when you’re handling produce. It’s the nature of the business.”
Privately held Taylor Farms was established in 1995 in Salinas. It operates there from April to November, and then moves its operations to Yuma, Ariz., from the end of November to the beginning of April to follow the growing season. The company makes value-added produce such as lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower that is washed, ready to eat, and sold to broadline distributors including Sysco, produce specialist distributors like FreshPoint, quick serve restaurants like McDonald’s and Subway, club stores like Sam’s and Costco, and casual dining restaurants like Ruby Tuesday and Chipotle.
Taylor Farms claims to be North America’s largest supplier of fresh cut fruits and vegetables to the food service industry, with a raw product harvest topping 1,800 acres per week. Some 22 million pounds of fresh cut vegetables are produced every week throughout all of its operations, with 12 million produced in California alone. Taylor Farms sources raw materials from 17 U.S. states and Mexico, and has 12 processing plants across North America, 11 of them in the U.S. and one in Mexico.
Investing in Technology
The company recently started using SmartWash, a food wash solution it developed to help prevent cross contamination. It also installed a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system to monitor its processing room floor in real-time for parameters such as temperature in cold storage, the distribution warehouse, and in areas specified by its hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) program.


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Maine company's dog vests getting national attention
Vests being sold at Walmart
The company, Dog Not Gone, made its first shipment of its popular tick-repellent dog safety vests to retail giant Walmart last week, which is now selling it in stores around the country.
Company owner and founder Bill Swain said this is the payoff to a big gamble he took just about two years ago.
In 2014, the owner of the Skowhegan Mill, which manufactured Swain's products, announced he was retiring, leaving Swain with very few options.
Swain knew he either had to purchase the mill himself or move his business out of Maine. He bought the mill.
"So our plans changed a little bit. We had not planned on getting in the manufacturing ourselves, but we saw this as an opportunity that was critical to our growth plans," Swain said.
When he bought the mill, Swain merged Dog Not Gone with the company, Maine Stitching Specialties, which makes decorative, custom-made curtains for hotels.
In the process, Swain saved seven jobs which, in little more than one year, have grown to 22 and counting.
"We are rapidly trying to ramp up and grow our capacity so we can go after bigger jobs; go after bigger customers," Swain said.
Swain said he is confident the exposure through Walmart could launch Dog Not Gone into a powerhouse of pet products.
"We are just going to be in front of so many consumers that this is the takeoff point to where it is just going to explode," Swain said.
For now, Swain's Dog Not Gone vests will be sold in Walmart on a six-month trial basis. Swain is confident he will pass the test.


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Minagi compact crossover concept was released for new 2012 Mazda CX5 since 2011 Geneva Motor Show. But in that time is only the concept of this awesome 2012 Mazda CX5 which has been hinting at production of its attractive. At New York 2011 Auto Show Mazda was finally released the true car named 2012 Mazda CX5 and confirmed that a production version of the concept was in the pipeline and destined to the CX5. Like 2012 Mazda3 Little Compact Car Showed at New York 2011, they powered the engine with SKYACTIV range of fuel efficient technologies too.
The brand new 2013 Nissan GTR was get its new engine which powered 560 Horse Power. As like oldest one, this 2013 Nissan GTR gets better and better every year and will no exception fot this one. As we know the first version of GTR was launched in 2007 at the Tokyo Motor Show delivered a total of 473 HP. The 2012 models was got impressive 530 HP and things aren’t slowing down for the Japanese automaker which prepare the next model year (2012 in Japan, 2013 in USA) will deliver an impressive 2013 Nissan GTR 560 HP.
Behind Audi completely new ideology behind this electric R8 and the normal gasoline version, they serious about bringing this Audi R8 E-Tron to the market. And after the E-tron Detroit Show car, Audi has brought us the e-tron technology platform based on the 2013 Audi R8 E-Tron. The supercar form of R8 was made an easier job for the Audi engineers to develop an electric version of this Audi R8 E-Tron. Mid-engine design of the 2013 Audi R8 with E-Tron technologies provides the perfect location to store heavy batteries without distorting the weight balance that Audi wanted to achieve.
2013 Chevrolet Malibu the first global version of the popular mid-size Chevy, has finally been revealed in 2011 New York Auto Show. 2013 Chevrolet Malibu was revealed one day before at 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu concept will take all of modernism of car design include exterior and interior of the car. Like 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T in New York 2011 Auto Show, the Chevy got many eyes look on its beautiful modern design style. The new Malibu is 4.5 inches smaller in wheelbase at 107.8 inches, and it’s 191.3 inches long–but an inch wider.
SMS Supercars a Steve Saleen’s new company was unveiled its 2011 302 ford mustang last spring. They bring the awesome dark blue color as main color on the new 2011 of 302 ford mustang on last spring. With sporty design body painted with dark blue color this 302 ford mustang really perfect for bussines man new car. Like Dark Blue Landrover Range Rover RS300 Limited Edition, the main color is the main interest for the new owner. On this time there are two models are offered by ford mustang, the standart 302 with 440 horsepower and a supercharged 302SC with 535 horsepower.
Related Auto Show & Car Showoff for what is the best color for 2013 mazda cx5 at AutoCarShowOff.com
2012 Mercedes Benz SLK350 was got a lots of substantial makeover for 2012 design. The 2012 Mercedes Benz SLK350 change with reworked powertrains and more masculine sheetmetal. Another change in 2012 Mercedes Benz SLK350 is new 3.5 liter V6 helps back up that fresh dose of manliness with 302 horsepower and 273 pound feet of [...]
2013 Chevrolet Malibu the first global version of the popular mid-size Chevy, has finally been revealed in 2011 New York Auto Show. 2013 Chevrolet Malibu was revealed one day before at 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu concept will take all of modernism of car design include exterior and interior of the car. [...]
On New York 2011 auto show, Dodge was revealed the new 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T. The 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T models will be distinguished by the rest of the Avenger type of Dodge cars. 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T will show its future sporty design with a sportier look that includes a unique body-color grille with [...]
The future volkswagen beetle was revealed on New York 2011 auto show which become another icon that gone under the knife and emerged, well, only slightly differently iconic. The future volkswagen beetle was made superficially slight by its producers. This future volkswagen beetle was revealed simultaneously in New York, Berlin and Shanghai. Just like 2011 [...]
Scion FRS was released the official specs for their brand new sport coupe concept in New York 2011 Auto Show. This new Scion FRS was adapted the stunning two-door is the latest iteration from the oldest models. Scion FRS name is taken from its dutation, Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, and Sport. Like 2012 Mazda3 Little Compact [...]
Expanding the new 2012 Chrysler 300S showed up the Chrysler 300 line up with thie new edition. They offered this new 2012 Chrysler 300S in both V6 and V8 engine versions. According to Chrysler they will ship this new 2012 Chrysler 300S car in fall 2011. With no chrome, no wood, matte carbon fiber finishes, [...]
The famous cars with the latest tuning program for the luxury sports saloon from Porsche comes courtesy of Vorsteiner. This 2011 Porsche Panamera comes with German tuning firm which released their new V-PT body kit for the Panamera, one that includes a plethora of materials made using carbon fiber and finished in multiple layers of [...]
Behind Audi completely new ideology behind this electric R8 and the normal gasoline version, they serious about bringing this Audi R8 E-Tron to the market. And after the E-tron Detroit Show car, Audi has brought us the e-tron technology platform based on the 2013 Audi R8 E-Tron. The supercar form of R8 was made an [...]
SR Auto Group was releasing their brand new tuning concept name Project Zeus. This project was completely awesome which more promising with some powerful and aggressive tuned cars. This project used a 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia and once they called the Father Gods and Men like who Zeus are. This 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia offers [...]
After unveiled the first 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, Maserati unveiled their new GranTurismo MC for American type at the 2011 New York Auto Show. This 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC is not exactly the street legal machine found with the Stradale nameplate, though. The 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC American [...]


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(Pocket-lint) - BlackBerry is struggling. Not just a little, but a lot.
The Canadian company reported results for its financial Q3 2014 on 20 December, and it wasn’t good. Revenues reached $1.2 billion over the quarter, down a whopping 56 per cent from last year's $2.7 billion.
BlackBerry also revealed it sold 4.3 million smartphones last quarter. While that might seem a healthy figure, it is stunningly low when you consider it shipped 14.2 million smartphones in the equivalent quarter two years ago .
Beyond a poor performance for the quarter, BlackBerry has dealt with a host of other issues in recent months. It abandoned a plan to sell itself in November, and then it announced John Chen would replace Thorsten Heins as CEO.
The abrupt executive shift sparked a nosedive in share price and stoked fears that BlackBerry would soon throw in the towel. But that hasn’t happened yet, and the company’s new CEO seems to think it won’t happen at all. In fact, he is optimistic about what lies ahead.
If you want to see what BlackBerry has up its sleeve for 2014, keep reading. Pocket-lint has rounded up all the predictions, rumours, speculation, and even the company’s own high hopes, below.
Exactly one day before posting results for Q3 2014, BlackBerry attempted to save face by giving a sneak peek at some new features coming to BBM in 2014.
BBM - also called BlackBerry Messenger - is app included on BlackBerry devices. It originally allowed messaging between BlackBerry users (and videocalls for BlackBerry 10 smartphones), though the service is now available to Android and iOS users through apps that released in October.
BlackBerry revealed on 19 December it would introduce a huge update to the Android and iOS version of BBM in 2014. Namely, BBM will gain free voice calling to any BBM contact worldwide with no long-distance fees.
Other upcoming features include Channels, BBM's chat room service, as well as photos, voice notes, location sharing, and new set of emoticons. These changes would bring BBM up to par with rival messaging solutions such as Skype, WhatsApp's voice messaging, Google Voice calling in Hangouts, and more.
BBM has roughly 80 million monthly users since the app launched on iOS and Android devices, so it would make sense for the company to capitalise on the success.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Chen sees BBM as a crucial asset to BlackBerry’s portfolio. He told analysts BlackBerry might even consider charging users on a monthly rate, or something similar, as long as enterprise users adopted BBM as a messaging client.
“I would not rule out the monetisation from an advertising model, but I think we’re very far away from knowing how to do it,” Chen said. “It’s not without difficulties, as you all know, but it’s something that we’re very interested in trying.”
BlackBerry's new CEO has ideas other than BBM that could breath new life into the company, and one of those is a recently announced deal with Foxconn. It's a manufacturer famous for making Apple's iPhone. BlackBerry and Foxconn revealed on 20 December that they had signed a five-year deal to create a new smartphone.
The first smartphone from Foxconn with BlackBerry branding should land in March or April 2014 and will be a 3G device running BlackBerry 10. BlackBerry will launch the handset in Indonesia first, indicating the company plans to tackle the budget smartphone sector in developing markets, though Chen said it would focus on another six or seven markets later. This strategy should help BlackBerry both find a financial foothold and minimise financial risk.
"Partnering with Foxconn allows BlackBerry to focus on what we do best - iconic design, world-class security, software development and enterprise mobility management - while simultaneously addressing fast-growing markets leveraging Foxconn's scale and efficiency that will allow us to compete more effectively," said Chen in a conference call with analysts.
BlackBerry wants to get its finances back on track, Chen suggested, and then it can eventually look at making "really cool, high-end" BB10-based devices. Of course, to even begin thinking that far down the line, BlackBerry needs to launch a successful smartphone with Foxconn. And the key factor to that handset's success will be price, especially since rival companies like Motorola are also aggressively targeting developing markets with low-cost devices.
No BB10 devices until March
BlackBerry confirmed to Pocket-lint in September that it would not launch any new BB10 devices until at least March 2014. The company emphasised that it would instead give priority to existing "prosumer" devices like the BlackBerry Z30, BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Q10, BlackBerry Q5.
The reason? BlackBerry likely wants to rein in spending during its current fiscal year, which ends in March. BlackBerry also wants to go back to its enterprise roots, pushing its business-first strategy and the services it was initially known for, rather than chasing an out-and-out consumer proposition.
Chen is determined to rebuild BlackBerry as more of a niche-geared player on the enterprise market of big government and corporate clients. The company's new BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 platform, for instance, allows large clients to manage BlackBerry, Android, and iOS devices on internal networks.
The BlackBerry Z30 was BlackBerry's last BB10 launch for 2013, so that means the recently leaked C-series touch device, BlackBerry Z50, and BlackBerry Q30 Qwerty won't launch until after March 2014, if at all. According to a report from Phone Arena, BlackBerry is currently working on those last two devices.
The BlackBerry 250 is allegedly a 5.2-inch flagship with a quad-core processor, while the 4-inch BlackBerry Q30 is the company's second BB10 Qwerty device. Both devices are rumoured to be available later in 2014. This product roadmap would align with what BlackBerry told us last autumn.
"We are very much alive, thank you."
Despite a string of issues, poor performances and company fallbacks, BlackBerry seems to think it is doing just fine. The media is quick to portray BlackBerry as if it is standing on its last leg, but CEO John Chen has claimed those reports are "greatly exaggerated".
Chen even published an open letter in December - addressing the future of BlackBerry - after the company took down its "for sale sign", replaced its CEO, and sought new funding. He said BlackBerry "is not for everyone" - but the company is still "very much alive, thank you".
He also repeated BlackBerry's current enterprise strategy. Specifically, he said going back to heritage and roots and delivering enterprise-grade, end-to-end mobile solutions, including handsets, cross-platform messaging, EMM solutions, and embedded systems, will help BlackBerry regain relevance.
The most interesting part of Chen's letter is that he admitted competing with iPhone and Android was a bad idea, so BlackBerry will now concentrate only on the growing enterprise sector and a niche subset of customers who enjoy the business-minded BlackBerry product.
It is safe to say BlackBerry isn't quite dead yet. And it has goals in mind that will help it to get back on top. Whether these plans or strategies will actually work has yet to be determined, though it is clear the company doesn't plan to roll over and die in 2014.


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Tesla says unless Australia changes some of its trucking regulations related to the size of trucks, the country will miss out on the Tesla Semi trucks because Tesla Semi trucks are too wide for the Australian roads.
Currently Australia only allows trucks on its roads if they are 2.5 meters wider or less. Tesla says its electric zero-emission trucks are between 30 and 50 millimeters wider than that, although they confirm to rules in the United States, where the limit is 2.6m, and in the European Union, where it is 2.55 meters.
In a submission to the National Transport Commission’s Heavy Vehicle National Law Review, seen by The Driven, Tesla urged the government to change the rule, saying the Australian market’s small size would likely mean Tesla would not make the adjustments necessary to sell its trucks here.
“The Commission will be aware that given Australia’s small size in comparison to global markets, inconsistencies like this between Australian regulations and larger markets will delay or preclude vehicles coming to local markets,” the submission says.
“Currently, Australia will likely miss out on the first generation of electric heavy vehicles such as the Tesla Semi because of this.”
The issue of of difference between Australian and overseas rulers has been a bugbear for a long time in the trucking industry. Some people and industry leading associations are in favor of changing them, while the local truck manufacturers object the change of the rule fearing the change will hurt their business. They are also concerned about safety implications.
We hope that Tesla will deliver its first batch of mass Semi trucks this year, nearly four years after it unveiled the first prototype in November 2017.
Recenetly Tesla transitioned Gerome Guillen from Automotive President to Heavy Trucking to speed up the Tesla Semi production.
Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.


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Amazon has announced a 20-for-1 stock split and a share buyback of up to $10bn, in an effort to boost its stock price in the face of heavy operating costs and concerns over staff retention.
The split, which does not technically change the company’s fundamental value but often spurs investor optimism, is the fourth in the company’s 28-year history. The last was in September 1999.
Amazon’s stock closed on Wednesday priced at $2,785.58. The announcement prompted an after-hours jump of about 7 per cent.
Trading on the new split-adjusted basis will begin on June 6, according to a filing, if it is approved by shareholders at Amazon’s annual general meeting in May. Investors will receive 19 additional shares for every one they hold, multiplying the total number of outstanding shares but reducing the value of each share.
It follows similar moves from Alphabet, which announced a 20-for-1 split last month. In 2020, in the midst of surging markets during coronavirus, Apple and Tesla each announced their own splits, 4-for-1 and 5-for-1, respectively.
“Big tech stalwarts all saw massive strength during the pandemic and the stocks are now ripe for a split,” said Dan Ives, analyst with Wedbush. “Amazon is following the lead of Apple, Tesla, and Alphabet on the stock split path. These are smart moves as investors positively digest stock splits.”
Amazon’s value has risen more than 220 per cent over the past five years, pushing it to a market cap of more than $1.4tn. But after receiving a massive boost early in the pandemic, with households turning to the company in blistering numbers, the share price has faltered as the true cost of keeping its logistics operation running became apparent.
The group’s shares are down 18 per cent since the start of the year, compared to Alphabet’s fall of 8 per cent and Apple’s 11 per cent.
The approval from Amazon’s board for a $10bn share buyback of the group’s common stock does not have an expiration date, and replaces a previous 2016 authorisation to buy back $5bn, of which it had repurchased $2.12bn. Of this, $1.3bn was bought earlier this year, according to a filing, the company’s first purchase of its own shares since at least 2018.
“The stock split has zero fundamental impact on the business,” said Brent Thill, an analyst with Jefferies. “But the buyback drives lower share count and hopefully higher earnings per share.”
The move is the Seattle-based company’s latest attempt to provide added incentives to its corporate staff, in the face of longstanding criticism that it pays less than its competitors in the tech sector. Last month Amazon told staff in a memo it would raise its cap on base pay rate to $350,000, up from $160,000.
Amazon said: “This split would give our employees more flexibility in how they manage their equity in Amazon and make the share price more accessible for people looking to invest in the company.”


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Valentine’s Day is now in full swing in Saudi Arabia, with enthused lovers clearing the heart shaped chocolate boxes off store shelves and emptying florists of their red roses, goods which were cautiously kept in back rooms not too long ago.
The kingdom has not officially lifted the ban on today’s celebration, but for one of the first years in history, there are no longer public injunctions for those choosing to partake in Valentine’s Day.
A green light from the government
The holiday got an important nod from the former president for the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in 2018. Sheikh Ahmed Qasim Al-Ghamdi announced Valentine’s Day as not contradict the Quran, marking it as a social event which also includes Muslims.
The senior Islamic leader spoke more about his approval with Arab News. “Celebrating Valentine’s Day does not contradict Islamic teachings as it is a worldly, social matter just like celebrating the National Day and Mother’s Day,” he said.
He furthered his argument by stating that: “All these are common social matters shared by humanity and are not religious issues that require the existence of religious proof to permit it.”
Who is celebrating Valentine’s day in KSA?
As Saudi Arabia continues to liberalise and invest in its entertainment industry, residents are increasingly partaking in leisurely activities such as munching on popcorn at the movies, headbanging at concerts or opting for a play: creating unprecedented opportunities for new encounters.
According to NPR, Saudi Arabia is seeing more men and women openly mixing in public. Though some are bothered by it, a normalization of dating is one of the latest signs of social change in the kingdom.
A boost for small business owners:
Today, this celebration of love is a big business around the world. Saudi Arabia is jumping on the bandwagon, Valentine’s day becoming a very lucrative time for local businesses, especially florists, restauration, and beauty salons.
The market research firm IBISWorld totaled over $18 billion spending worldwide on this red-tinted day.


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Apple, Inc.'s iWatch -- No Longer Just Speculation?
Toward the end of last week, the Apple rumor mill took iWatch speculation to a whole new level. But the latest rumors about Apple's alleged smartwatch didn't come from Apple fan blogs. Instead, the central sources were The Wall Street Journal and Reuters.
What are the new reports saying?
On the product's timeline (citing sources familiar with the matter), both Reuters and The Wall Street Journal predict mass production for the iWatch to begin within the next few months. And a launch will come as early as October, they estimate.
On its form-factor and hardware, contrary to early speculation that the display would be round, Reuters is asserting that the iWatch will be produced with a surprisingly large 2.5-inch "slightly rectangular" display. The Journal still says the device will come in multiple screen sizes.
iWatch concept design (as seen on the right) shown next to iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 5s. Image source: 9to5mac, used with permission.
"The source added that the watch face will protrude slightly from the band, creating an arched shape, and will feature a touch interface and wireless charging capabilities," said Reuters' Michael Gold.
And probably most interesting of all among the newest details of the alleged watch is that the Journal says its sources claim that the iWatch sports "more than 10 sensors to track and monitor health and fitness data." Chinese website Laoyaoba (via GforGames) asserts that some of the iWatch biometric sensors will even monitor complex health metrics like blood pressure and blood glucose.
The Journal says a contact from one of Apple's component suppliers is predicting Apple will ship 10 million-15 million smartwatches by year-end.
How big is the opportunity?
While the market for smartwatches is small today, the nascent segment is ripe for more rapid adoption -- especially if Apple gets into the race. A number of industry research reports suggest the market is about to take off. NextMarket Insights, for instance, predicts annual shipments will grow from a total of 15 million smartwatches this year to 373 million annual shipments in 2020.
But due to Apple's enormous size, it's going to take a massive success to move the needle. The iWatch business will need to become comparable to the iPad or Mac business in order to meaningfully impact Apple's lucrative bottom line. With a $550 billion market capitalization and $37 billion in earnings in the past twelve months, the iWatch will need to be a blockbuster success for the device to impact the market outlook for the business.
Of course Apple has an excellent track record of entering new product categories, making the success of the Apple-branded smartwatch fairly likely. The last two major new products Apple launched were the iPhone in early 2007 and the iPad in early 2010.Can the so-called iWatch help Apple repeat history?
An investment opportunity in this hot new segment
Apple recently recruited a secret-development "dream team" to guarantee its newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out, and some early viewers are claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. In fact, ABI Research predicts 485 million of this type of device will be sold per year. But one small company makes Apple's gadget possible. And its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors. To be one of them, and see Apple's newest smart gizmo, just click here!
The article Apple, Inc.'s iWatch -- No Longer Just Speculation? originally appeared on Fool.com.Daniel Sparks owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2014 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Giant Group buys minority share in Stages Cycling in $20 million deal
Giant Group acquires 32.5 percent of Portland-based Stages in bid to expand its presence in the indoor cycling market.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
The story first appeared on Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
Giant Group has made a $20 million investment in Stages Cycling, acquiring 32.5 percent of the company’s common stock according to a filing with the Taiwan stock exchange.
Stages, based in Portland, Oregon, makes stationary smart bikes for the commercial gym and home markets, crankarm-based power meters, and GPS bike computers. Giant has manufactured some of Stages smart and commercial indoor bikes for several years, and Giant also distributes some Giant-branded Stages GPS computers to its dealers globally.
According to the announcement in Taiwan on Janary 20, Giant’s board approved the purchase of 32.5 percent of Stages Cycling Inc. common stock for $6.5 million and Stages Cycling’s convertible corporate bonds for $13.5 million. Giant made the investment through its subsidiary Gaiwin US I Investment Inc.
Giant said its strategy is to expand Giant Group’s presence within the indoor cycling market and to build Giant’s “cycling ecosystem.”
“Through the integration of indoor and outdoor cycling products, Giant Group can offer consumers with a more comprehensive cycling experience, enabling consumers to enjoy the benefits and pleasures from outdoors to indoors and vice versa, and hence improving the overall quality of the cycling experience.
“Through this strategic alliance, Giant Group can further utilize its brand advantage within the professional cycling market and to consolidate both manufacturing and distribution resources to maximize synergies. This, on one hand, increases both product and service values and, on another hand, creates a seamless online and offline cycling ecosystem, thereby accomplishing the goal of future gradual long-term operation performance gains and enabling Giant Group to continue to grow.”
A representative from Stages Cycling said they were not able to comment yet.


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U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and one of the authors of bipartisan postal reform legislation, today issued the following statement regarding the Postal Regulatory Commission’s advisory opinion on the U.S. Postal Service’s plan to close almost 3700 post offices and other retail facilities. The Postal Service is required to ask the PRC for a non binding opinion on nationwide service changes.
The PRC said “the Commission’s primary finding is that the (closure plan) was not designed to optimize the network. The Commission recommends the use of modern optimization tools and techniques to better maximize net retail revenues while fulfilling statutory service obligations.”
“The Commission’s unanimous findings support my and many of my colleagues’ skepticism about the wisdom of mass postal closures without a more thoughtful, transparent, and data-driven process,” said Senator Collins. “Fortunately, such a process is included in the 21st Century Postal Reform Act, which I authored along with Senators Lieberman, Carper and Brown. Our bill would require the Postal Service to find savings and internal efficiencies first – before raising prices and cutting service that could drive away the very customers keeping the mail in business. Today’s PRC opinion only highlights the increasing urgency for Congress to pass comprehensive postal reform if we are to preserve the Postal Service for the next generation of Americans.


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The US star investor Warren Buffett has suffered with its investment company Berkshire Hathaway a strong profit decline. In the second quarter, the operating result fell year-on-year by 11 percent to 6.1 billion dollars (5.5 billion euros), as the company announced yesterday in Omaha, Nebraska. The important insurance business around the US industry giant Geico threw significantly less money, also made the slowing US economy noticeable.
For over 50 years at the top
Although the net surplus Berkshire Hathaway increased from twelve billion to 14.1 billion dollars. Buffett himself, however, always advises against paying much attention to this number. Since the introduction of a new accounting policy that requires the fair value of unrealized investment gains to be reported on an ongoing basis, earnings are subject to significant fluctuations. Therefore, according to Buffett, it is no longer a good indicator of business development.
To Berkshire Hathaway belong to the 90 companies, in addition to various share packages of listed major companies such as Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, Apple and since this year, Amazon. The 88-year-old stock-market guru Buffett has run the conglomerate for more than 50 years and is also known as the „Oracle of Omaha“ because of his smelling talent. Thanks to his fortunate investment talent, Buffett has been one of the richest people in the world for years – most recently „Forbes“ estimated his fortune at $ 80.5 billion.


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Dalian Wanda Group reportedly in advanced talks to buy the UFC
The Dalian Wanda Group looks to be significantly strengthening its sports portfolio with reports that it is in advanced talks to buy the UFC organisation.
The Chinese conglomerate is understood to have submitted a bid for the fast growing mixed martial arts promotion, according to ESPN. Dalian Wanda Group has been named as the led bidder, however WME/IMG, China Media Capital and The Blackstone Group are all understood to have also submitted bids.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations claim that, if talks proceed, the winning bid would likely be between $3.5bn and $4bn.
UFC president Dana White dismissed reports that the privately owned company was on the market, saying that "the UFC is not for sale".
The organisation’s vice president of public relations and athlete marketing, Dave Sholler, was equally tight lipped on the reports, adding: “As a private company, we don't discuss speculation or rumours related to our business.”
The UFC is currently owned by Zuffa, a sports promotion company which bought the business for just $2m in 2001. Zuffa’s owners Lorenzo Fertitta along with his brother Frank, each worth a reported $1.6bn, own more than 80 per cent of the UFC with White and the Abu Dhabi government also owning minority stakes in the business.
As a privately owned company, the UFC does not make its financial information public, however in an interview with CNN in December Lorenzo revealed that the company grossed around $600m in revenue in 2014. Since then its valuation is likely to have grown significantly as a result of a record breaking 2015 thanks to two of the sport’s biggest stars, Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, and the growth of the UFC’s online streaming platform UFC Fight Pass.
The Dalian Wanda Group has begun to accelerate its foray into sports. Last year the company’s chairman and richest man in China,Wang Jianlin, bought a 20 per cent stake Atletico Madrid. The company followed up on this in March when it took advantage of the Fifa scandal and signed on as one of Fifa’s biggest sponsors until 2030.


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Korean Hyosung, a multi-billion dollar organization involved in ATM manufacturing, has now announced that Bitcoin will offer buyout on its systems through Just Cash’s partnership.
A Missouri-based mobile company that provides mobile-based solutions for customers to earn money from ATMs, now allows any Hyosung ATM client to access Bitcoin.
Although the official statements about the inspiration for this mode are not visible, ATM matching upgrade is already available.
Bitcoin purchases would generate a paper receipt with a public and private key, accessible with funding by scanning the QR code.
In the future, Just Cash will include Bitcoin sales, as well as supporting other cryptocurrencies, in the first line with the ethereum.
Bitcoin ATMs are bold and fast developed this year, with a spotlight on the US where Many of them are still in the market at the beginning of their journey.


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TEL AVIV, Israel and MELBOURNE, Australia, June 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Agreement Paves Way for Significant Israel-Australia Medical Cannabis Collaboration
iCAN: Israel-Cannabis (iCAN), a leading Israeli developer of medical cannabis formulations, clinical trials and cannabis testing, has formed a joint venture with LeafCann Research and Advisory, a leader in the development of cannabis medications, clinical research and education, based in Melbourne, Australia. The new venture, iCAN: Australia, will collaborate on a range of initiatives including medicinal cannabis research, education, acceleration, and innovation.
This joint venture is a significant step in the collaborative efforts between Israel and Australia in this field, combining Israel's role as the world's medical cannabis R&D powerhouse with Australia's newly eased access regulations for patients in need.
"We are thrilled to partner with LeafCann to form iCAN: Australia. Our collaboration will bring world-class cannabis products to the Australian market as well as accelerate our collaborative research and development of new products for a range of indications," said Saul Kaye, CEO of iCAN: Israel-Cannabis.
The burgeoning global medical cannabis industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2025.
"This agreement paves the way for significant investment in clinical research to support the development of evidence based cannabis medicines for patients most in need. In addition iCAN: Australia will develop global clinical education initiatives to bridge the gap between public demand and practitioner education. We are also excited to be part of iCAN's global acceleration program to develop a professional, ethical and sustainable medicinal cannabis sector worldwide," said LeafCann Group CEO, Dr Jaroslav Boublik B.Sc.(Hons) Ph.D. (Med), MRACI, C.Chem. AACNEM, MICRS.
LeafCann's practitioner education program will be incorporated into iCAN's product offerings and distributed via iCAN's global reach. In addition, iCAN:Australia will take a significant interest in CannaTech Australia, the country's first major Medical Cannabis Summit modeled after the highly successful CannaTech Israel Summits. The first CannaTech Australia conference will take place in Sydney in 2018.
About iCAN: Israel-Cannabis
iCAN: Israel-Cannabis is a leading Israeli developer of cannabis based formulations, clinical trials and cannabis testing. iCAN is committed to accelerate Israel's CannaTechnology industry, capitalizing on Israeli innovation and a leading cannabis regulatory environment to bring premier products to market. iCAN is powered by CannaTech, the premier international cannabis summit held annually in Tel Aviv and for the first time outside of Israel on October 25th and 26th in London, England.
LeafCann Research and Advisory is a wholly owned subsidiary of LeafCann Group Pty Ltd. LeafCann Research and Advisory is a leading Australian developer of clinical research, product development, education and Industry advice to a range of Australian and international partners. LeafCann Group has positioned itself as Australia's preeminent Medicinal Cannabis think tank. With strong strategic partnerships, a diverse team and significant investment in medicinal cannabis production in Australia, LeafCann Group is well positioned as a global leader.
Kam Global Strategies,


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Please, don’t blame capitalism
- Gold finds support
- Don’t let the numbers fool you
- Don’t worry about gold
- It’s all PR
- No stamina for it
Your editor will confess to being easily amused…at times.
The easiest way to amuse us is to blame capitalism for something which is not capitalism’s fault.
Earlier this week, the name of the new UK prime minister, Theresa May, cropped up in conversation in these pages.
Well, Ms May has caused herself to become a target once more. We quote from the Financial Times:
‘In a speech steeped in rhetoric about the role of the government to bear down on irresponsible capitalism, the prime minister said she would tackle “unfairness” wherever she found it, from tax evasion to high household energy bills.’
Our point on this is simple. There is no such thing as ‘irresponsible capitalism’. There is no such thing as ‘responsible capitalism’ either.
There is only capitalism. That’s it.
The thing that politicians, bureaucrats, and statists like to criticise isn’t capitalism. And no, this isn’t just a matter of semantics. It’s a matter of getting a crucial distinction right.
Tax evasion isn’t capitalism. And high household energy bills aren’t capitalism either.
Both of these issues are the result of government and bureaucratic interference. Big businesses are able to evade, avoid, or minimise taxes because the laws written by politicians allow them to do so.
Energy companies can charge high prices because governments grant them the gift of monopoly, create high barriers to entry, or because governments enter into price-setting arrangements with the energy companies.
Sure, high energy prices can occur under free market capitalism. But in a free market, the high price acts as a signal to the rest of the market. It says, ‘Hey, big profits over here.’ The result is an increase in competition, and consequently, a fall in prices.
Unfortunately, when the government gets involved, they insist on interfering with price signals. Take public transport in Victoria as an example.
For years, the trains and trams have been overcrowded. In a free market, a business would have two choices. It could either increase the number of services offered, or it would raise prices to limit demand.
But what did the government do? That’s right, it cut prices by eliminating the outer fare zone. A subsequent government went one step further by making tram travel in Melbourne’s CBD free.
In other words, the government did the opposite to what a free market would do. Now, public transport services are more crowded than ever before.
Anyway, we do wish politicians, the media, and others would stop blaming capitalism. It’s not capitalism that’s at fault. The fault is with government and the bureaucracy…
Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 112.58 points, or 0.62%.
The S&P 500 added 9.24 points, or 0.43%.
In Europe, the Euro Stoxx 50 index fell 3.22 points, or 0.11%. Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 fell 0.58%, and Germany’s DAX index fell 0.29%.
In Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index is up 96.7 points, or 0.57%. China’s market remains closed for the national holiday.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 is up 22.27 points, or 0.41%.
On the commodities markets, West Texas Intermediate crude oil is trading for US$49.49 per barrel. Brent crude is US$51.52 per barrel.
Gold is trading for US$1,265.88 (AU$1,633.25) per troy ounce. Silver is US$17.71 (AU$23.27) per troy ounce.
The Aussie dollar is worth 76.1 US cents.
Gold finds support
Just when it looked as though gold may bounce back after yesterday’s big fall, well, it didn’t.
If gold is down, that just has to be bad news for gold stocks, right?
Maybe not. As we’ve mentioned this week, we see the current fall in the gold price as an opportunity to buy both gold and gold stocks.
Turns out, we may not be alone. As Bloomberg reports:
‘Investors in exchange-traded funds that track gold producers are keeping the faith, even as the metal’s rally shows signs of fading.
‘On Tuesday, as gold sustained the biggest loss in almost three years, investors still poured into exchange-traded funds backed by the metal. About $350 mln went into the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF, the third-largest daily investment this year. The fund, the biggest ETF tracking bullion producers, is forecast to boost its dividend by half to 17.4 cents a share in 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.’
Will it last? We’ll see.
And what about the longer term prospects for gold, especially if the US Federal Reserve goes ahead and raises interest rates this year?
Well, who says that will happen? Sure, the market has factored in a 62.1% chance of a Fed rate rise, but there are plenty of folks who are sceptical about the Fed actually going through with it.
One of those sceptics happens to be a colleague. Jim Rickards, no less. Here’s what Jim writes in the first monthly issue of Gold Stock Trader, sent to subscribers today:
‘The Fed will not raise rates for the fun of it. The Fed wants to keep inflation under control, but what the organisation really wants is negative real rates. That’s where inflation is higher than nominal rates.
‘An environment of 2% inflation and a 1% Fed funds rate would be perfect from the Fed’s perspective. That gives you a negative 1% real rate (1 – 2 = -1), which is supposed to stimulate investment and spending. It does the Fed no good to raise rates unless inflation is going up even faster. Yet that’s exactly when gold does its job of preserving wealth.
‘The other problem with market logic is that it will take more than a “hint” of inflation to get the Fed to move. The Fed wants to see higher inflation on a sustained basis, not just from one report. The Fed also want to ensure that it doesn’t kill inflation as soon as it appears.
‘The return of disinflation – for example, through a stronger US dollar – would be just what it takes to put the Fed on hold again or maybe even cut rates. This counsel of patient observation is what Lael Brainard has been saying. She seems to be the most thoughtful voice in the Fed right now. Janet Yellen is listening.
‘Finally, we’re in political season. Janet Yellen does not want to be known 100 years from now as the person who helped elect Donald Trump. That’s exactly what might happen if the Fed raises rates prematurely and sends the stock market down 10% or more right before the election. That’s how the stock market reacted right after the last rate increase.
‘My take is that the Fed is nowhere near a rate rise. When markets wake up to this, they will reprice bonds, stocks and gold according to the “new” reality.
‘That will be news to markets, but not us. We, obviously, see it coming. When that happens, gold should resume its march to higher price levels, which it began almost a year ago.’
In our view, the talk of a US rate rise is simply following the same pattern as before — convincing the market that a rate rise is imminent, and then backing down when the numbers show the economy isn’t as strong as they thought.
Don’t let the numbers fool you
Also, remember to not let statistical or economic releases fool you into think a rate rise is a certainty.
Economic releases (such as manufacturing activity or service sector activity) are backward looking. That means the data only tells you how businesses and consumers were behaving during the previous weeks, months, or quarter.
They don’t necessarily give you a good indication about what businesses and consumers will do in the future.
Yes, the market may today have factored in a December rate rise, but as recently as July, the chances of a December rate rise were only 7.9%. Is it possible that consumers and businesses may have committed to spending and investing in August and even September, because they thought interest rates would stay low?
It could explain why the September US Services index climbed to 52.3 from 51.9 in the month prior.
But now that talk is of a rate rise being a near certainty, what impact will that have on spending and investment decisions?
Our bet is that it will have a major impact, to such an extent that the data the Fed watches so closely in order to make its rate decisions will force it to change course.
Like Jim, we don’t see interest rates rising at all this year.
Don’t worry about gold
We’re not convinced that an interest rate rise would be bad news for gold. As we showed you yesterday, based on the past 26 years of data, gold and interest rates aren’t always inversely correlated.
But regardless of what happens to the gold price, we still believe that the recent sell-off has created a great opportunity to buy gold stocks at a beaten-down price.
Our mystery gold stock picker agrees. He should know. He’s selected three of what he says are among the best speculative gold mining stocks trading on the ASX.
For details, go here.
It’s all PR
There’s no doubt he’s a genius. We’re referring to Elon Musk, founder and chairman of Tesla Motors Inc [NASDAQ:TSLA].
Tesla is the world’s biggest electric car company.
Musk and Tesla managed to do for electric cars what nobody before had — make electric cars that look good.
But that’s not all. Musk and Tesla have become a PR machine.
In the past, whenever the Tesla share price was on the ropes, Musk and the company would make a grand announcement. They did that earlier this year.
When the stock price tanked from US$240 to below US$150 between December 2015 and February 2016, the company did what it does best — announce it would double production.
In the months that followed, the share price soared to more than US$260 per share.
Since then, the share price has stagnated again. The company has increased production this year, churning out just over 25,000 vehicles during the last quarter. For the year, Tesla will be lucky if it produces 90,000 cars.
As a point of comparison, German carmaker, BMW produced 2.17 mln vehicles in 2014.
Yet, despite the big difference in production numbers, (not to mention that Tesla is a perennial loss maker, while Bayerische Moteren Werke AG [ETR:BMW] makes good profits) Tesla’s market cap is only half BMW’s.
But, with a moribund share price, and a company that posted a loss of US$888 mln in 2015, it was time for the PR machine to whir into action again.
What would the distraction be this time? Bloomberg reported last week:
‘Billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk has unveiled a plan to colonise Mars and make humans a “multiplanetary species”.’
Enough said. If we were a Tesla shareholder, we may be inclined to ask Mr Musk to concentrate on finding a way to make Tesla a profitable company, rather than thinking about colonising Mars.
It’s only a small request. And (we think) not too much to ask.
No stamina for it
The Tesla story came to mind as we saw the latest developments at Twitter Inc [NASDAQ:TWTR]. We’ve tried getting the hang of Twitter, with little success.
Once or twice your editor has ‘hijacked’ the Money Morning Twitter account to offer our [cough] well-considered thoughts on issues of the day.
But, while we’re enthusiastic about it to begin with, we can’t sustain it. Without a day, or even a few hours, we’ve had enough.
Besides, as far as we can see, Twitter’s only real importance is for tabloid newspapers and trashy media outlets. Barely a day passes without an actor or sportsman saying something dumb and getting themselves in trouble.
As for it being an advertising medium, we’ve tried that too. With little or no success. Based on Twitter’s history of financial results, we’ll guess that many other businesses have come to the same conclusion.
Twitter’s revenue has quadrupled over the past four years, from US$664.9 mln to US$2.5 billion. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t appear to be any nearer to making a profit.
Losses for 2015 totalled US$521 mln. And what’s more, if the company was hoping for a cashed-up buyer to take it over, that doesn’t look too promising either.
As Bloomberg reported this morning:
‘Twitter Inc. fell as much as 11 percent in extended trading following a report that Alphabet Inc.’s Google isn’t interested in buying the social-networking service.’
The Twitter stock price traded as high as US$73 after listing in 2013. Today, it traded for less than US$23 in after-hours trading.
If Twitter continues to turn south, it won’t be the first (or last) flash-in-the-pan social stock. You may remember Groupon Inc [NASDAQ:GRPN]. It too soared after its initial listing, topping out above US$26 in 2011.
Today, it trades for US$5.31, after falling below US$3 this year. And while Groupon did eke out a small US$20.7 mln profit in 2015, the past 12 months haven’t been so kind.
Based on the latest numbers, Groupon investors can expect a loss this year of somewhere around US$150 mln.
To us, that doesn’t seem like the kind of company you want to invest in anytime soon.


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By Joshua Zumbrun
The U.S. widened its threat to impose tariffs against the European Union, pending the outcome of a World Trade Organization case over the EU's subsidies of the airplane manufacturer Airbus SE.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said Monday that as part of a long-running dispute over aircraft subsidies it would consider tariffs on an additional 89 items with an annual trade value of $4 billion, including cheese, pasta and Scottish and Irish whiskies as well as chemicals and metals. The U.S. in April began the process of imposing tariffs against the EU pending the resolution of a WTO case that found the aircraft manufacturer has received unfair governmental support. The EU has proposed tariffs against the U.S. over a companion case regarding U.S. subsidies of Boeing Co.
The announcement expands the USTR's earlier threat, and now leaves items with a trade value of about $21 billion a year under consideration for tariffs, according to the statement. The Trump administration has largely sought to portray these tariffs as separate from their other trade efforts, saying that these tariffs are part of a distinct dispute over aviation subsidies, and not part of the overall effort to apply pressure to the EU to negotiate a broad trade deal.
Airbus on Tuesday said "this only adds to the trade tensions but in reality does not change anything." The level of retaliation is set by the WTO, the European plane maker said, adding the U.S. move made negotiating a solution harder and could result in a "lose-lose situation" for industries on both sides.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The European Commission's president, Jean-Claude Juncker, and President Trump agreed to negotiate a trade pact last summer, but the two sides have made little progress in their negotiations. Even if the Airbus-Boeing spat is largely separate from other trade issues, the threat of tariffs hasn't been conducive to progress in those talks.
The issue between the aircraft companies, however, predates President Trump by over a decade. The EU and U.S. have been tangling before the WTO for about 15 years over dueling claims that manufacturers are unfairly subsidized. The WTO has found that both sides unfairly subsidize their aircraft and may make a decision later this year that would allow the U.S. and EU to impose tariffs as countermeasures to these unfair subsidies. The WTO will also rule on the extent of harm caused by the subsidies, which would determine the size of tariffs that would be permissible in response.
These tariffs differ from most others pursued by the Trump administration because they would be imposed in response to an official WTO ruling, rather than unilaterally initiated by Washington. The tariffs in place against China, for example, stemmed from a U.S.-initiated investigation into China's intellectual-property practices, which provided legal justification for the administration to impose tariffs, so far, against roughly $250 billion in imports. The U.S. tariffs against global steel and aluminum imports were initiated by Washington with the official justification that steel and aluminum imports threatened U.S. national security.
While some of the administration's tariffs have had few supporters, the WTO case against Airbus has been supported by Boeing. When the tariffs were first announced in April, the aircraft manufacturer said it supported the USTR's efforts to "level the playing field."
Experts on the WTO's litigation process don't expect the final scale of tariffs to be as large as that proposed by the U.S. and EU.
"The EU remains open for discussions with the U.S.," a European Commission spokesman said Tuesday. The EU's executive arm declined to comment on procedural steps by the USTR, highlighting that the final award is still to be decided. Brussels also reiterated that barring a settlement it is ready to "promptly" retaliate against the U.S., once the WTO finalizes penalties in the bloc's case against Boeing. The EU award is expected early 2020.
The USTR said its final list of tariffs "will take into account the report of the WTO Arbitrator on the appropriate level of countermeasures to be authorized by the WTO."
Before imposing the tariffs, the USTR will hold a public hearing Aug. 5, when companies can testify about the effects of the tariffs.


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HUL plans to fill Reckitt slots in modern retail outlets
India's largest consumer products company plans to flood modern retail shelves with its brands Lifebuoy and Domex that take on Reckitt Benckiser's top brands Dettol antiseptic and Harpic toilet cleaners, and support it with brand promotions and price-offs.
Reckitt threatens to cut retailers' margin
Reckitt Benckiser has written to Reliance Fresh, Reliance Super & More; May cut margins by 15% to offset rising input costs.
HC orders appearance of company officials of Reckitt Benckiser
Madras High Court has ordered the apperance of Managing Director, Executive Director and Company Secretary of Reckitt Benckiser before it after four weeks, in connection with a contempt of...
Reckitt Benckiser India to buy around 26% stake in Healthcare unit for Rs 725 crore
Reckitt Benckiser India plans to buy around 26% stake in its sister firm Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare for Rs 725 crore.
Consumers expect businesses to invest in communities they operate in
The term ‘Prosumer’ famously attributed to its creator, the futurologist Alvin Toffler has become a favourite with marketers and planners.
Cavincare rejigs ad, gets relief in war with Reckitt
The legal wrangle between FMCG majors Reckitt Benckiser and CavinKare has ended up with the Chennai-based company getting a favourable verdict in a disparagement case, involving toilet cleaner brands Harpic and Tex.
Reckitt Benckiser clinches third spot ahead of Godrej Consumer, Marico in home & personal care market
RB India posted revenues of Rs 3,593 cr as per its latest filing, slightly ahead of Godrej Consumer, Marico and Colgate-Palmolive.
We’re not in the business of sellout: C M Sethi
Chander Mohan Sethi is credited with taking Reckitt Benckiser India beyond its flagship brand Dettol to have a strong presence in various household and personal care segments with brands such as Harpic, Vanish , Lizol and Mortein.
Now, Durex is ready to please all with ‘Do The Rex’
With 'Do The Rex', Durex attempts to go where Indian men armed with Manforce, KamaSutra and Moods have gone before.
Reckitt Benckiser operating under cost pressures: CMD
Chander Mohan Sethi, CMD (India), Reckitt Benckiser, in an interview with ET said that the company is operating under huge cost pressures.
Pantaloon promoter Biyani to spin off Ezone, sell stake
Kishore Biyani is spinning off his consumer durables business, Ezone, into a separate entity in order to maximise value from it.
The Paras brands we’re acquiring are complementary to our portfolio: Chander Mohan Sethi, Reckitt Benckiser India
Reckitt Benckiser, maker of Dettol soaps, Harpic toilet cleaner and Vanish stain remover, outdid a number of contenders including Emami to buy out Paras Pharma — one of the most prized acquisitions in the consumer products space.
Reckitt hopes to rake in top dollars from India
Bart Becht may get into trouble with his wife again, but did you know that the global chief of Reckitt Benckiser - maker of Dettol and Harpic - personally test markets his new cleaning products at his home in Slough, UK, before they are launched in worldwide markets?
Future Group stalls Reckitt brands as FMCG slashes margins
Other retailers also held out veiled threats to Reckitt. “If our margins are not restored, we will also review our future course of action,” said Thomas Verghese, CEO of Aditya Birla Retail.
CavinKare to rejig homecare portfolio
CavinKare plans to rejig its homecare product portfolio.
Copyright © 2019 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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Improved sales volume across all products gave a boost to SAIL’s turnover in Q3 FY17 which got increased by 25.8 pc at Rs 12,490 cr compared to last year
GN Bureau | February 13, 2017
Steel authority of India ltd. (SAIL) registered an increase in total sales by 16 per cent and 12.5 per cent for the April-December (9M) period and quarter third (Q3) of 2016-17 fiscal with 9.66 million tonnes (MT) and 3.27 MT of saleable steel respectively over the corresponding period of last year.
The Maharatna PSU also posted highest ever 9M saleable steel production at 10.2 MT witnessing a growth of 16.5 per cent and 9.2 per cent growth in Q3 FY17 over last year. The growth in production and sales is driven by an all-round improvement strategy of the top management by strengthening the entire value chain, a SAIL release stated. During the 9M period, exports volume considerably rose and more than tripled as compared to the corresponding period of last year.
Owing to the improved sales volume across all products, SAIL’s gross turnover in Q3 FY17 was higher by 25.8 per cent at Rs 12,490 crores as compared to the last year’s same period.
Realising the crucial challenges faced by the steel industry and rising domestic competition, SAIL has already commenced the supply of long rails from its 1.2 MTPA new universal rail mill, Bhilai. The enterprise is in its final leg of finishing remaining modernisation projects, ramping up production from new mills and achieving its rated capacity soon.
After years of intense preparation, India is about to take the next step in information and communication technology. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 5G services in India on October 1 and also inaugurate the 6th Edition of India Mobile Congress 2022 to be held till October 4, at Pragati Maidan, Ne
There is this popular saying that epics are never told, but always retold. Ramayana is one such epic and needs no introduction. Its plot is grounded in sacrifice and the end brings out hope that the good always wins. But how is a centuries-old tale of the prince of Ayodhya still relevant for today’s
In pursuance of the pro-people announcement made by the prime minister in 2021 and successful implementation of additional food security under PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, the union cabinet has approved its extension for a further period of three months, from October to December 2022. At a ti
A Case of Indian Marvels: Dazzling Stories from the Country’s Finest Writers Edited by David Davidar Aleph, 390 pages, Rs 999 Change is the only constant, and India has always been doing so. Yet, after independence, if there was a year when the p
“My volume of business has increased ever since I registered on GeM (Government e-Marketplace) in 2017. Earlier, I could supply items only in the vicinity of my shop in Fort area and only within Mumbai. Now, I ship my products all over the country! I have tied up with India Post and three private cou
The Journey of Hindi Language Journalism in India: From Raj to Swaraj and Beyond By Mrinal Pande Orient BlackSwan, 188 pages, Rs 1,195.00 In India, the English-language media is considered the ‘national media’, while the language press


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Morena Valdez, the tourism minister of EI Salvador, has spoken on the recovery the tourism sector of the country has reportedly practiced even once after the Covid-19 pandemic. As Per Valdez’s statements, tourism has greatly benefited from the introduction of bitcoin as a medium of exchange within the country, and from the foreigners that come back to the country for bitcoin-related functions and business.
Tourism Recovers in EI Salvador
Morena port, the tourism minister of EI Salvador, has brought out info concerning the recovery of the tourism sector within the country. Even once Covid-19, tourism has managed to stay growing, on the face of it with the assistance of the Bitcoin Law that established the cryptocurrency as a medium of exchange within the country. throughout an interview on an area TV news channel, port stated:
“According to The World Tourism Organization, we’ll have an 81% recovery by 2022. tlThat they had calculated that 2024 would be year zero.”
The minister attributes this recovery to a few factors. The First must do with the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic within the country, that has boosted the arrogance of tourists that come back to the country, and also the second must do with the investments that derive from the interest the country and its economic movements have awakened in foreign markets.
Bitcoin as a Key Issue
The third issue must deal with the use of bitcoin and also the interest in its transfer to the country. The minister had connected the expansion in tourism to the usage of bitcoin before, saying that it’s helped the arena grow by half-hour. The minister reiterated this statement, sharing the information found in February.
But port did share new info concerning however the implementation of bitcoin has modified the behavior patterns of tourists returning to the country. port declared:
Tourists fascinated by the implementation of bitcoin have an extended keep and a bigger expense. Before bitcoin there was a daily expense of $113 to $150, currently it’s up to $200 every day.
While the implementation of the Bitcoin Law, that created bitcoin medium of exchange within the country, was criticized for being foisted upon the population in an abrupt manner, per the statements of port, it helped shore up the tourism sector. port all over by stating:
For a week we’ve projected the visit of 170,000 people, approaching the flows of the year 2019. This can be $161 million in foreign currency.
The post Tourism Minister of EI Salvador Reiterates Result Bitcoin Has Had on the Sector first appeared on BTC Wires.


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Banks could be the next business sector to face disruption from nontraditional rivals, if a new study from Accenture is any indication, writes RealtyTrac’s Peter Miller.
According to the study, nearly half of consumers said they would likely bank with a company they currently do business with but that does not currently offer banking services, such as PayPal and Square. That figure jumps to more than 70 percent among those ages 18 to 34.
Moreover, 40 percent of consumers ages 18 to 34 said they would consider banking with Google, while 37 percent would consider banking with Amazon and 34 percent would consider banking with Apple.
“[C]ustomers want a bank that’s nimble and proactive, one that can be a part of their daily lives. The idea of ‘convenience’ in banking is undergoing a shift away from branch locations and toward digital products and services that mesh with consumers’ ‘smart’ mobile-empowered lives. Also, banks that cling to the status quo risk being viewed over time more like utilities that conduct financial transactions,” Accenture said.
New competition from such players could help hold down mortgage rates, Miller writes.
But it will not be easy for such companies to enter the lending space, he added. Consumers consider traditional banks less trustworthy now than they did before the financial crisis, but tech companies have trust issues of their own as security breaches become more and more commonplace.


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We're still almost a month away from Samsung's Galaxy S10 launch, but already the leaks are coming thick and fast.
The latest shows the hole punch selfie camera we've already seen alongside a new feature: a cryptocurrency wallet.
This is a Samsung app called Blockchain Keystore. It's described as a "secure and convenient place for your cryptocurrency", and lets users import various types of cryptocurrency such as Ethereum.
It's secured with biometric authentication (so a fingerprint or eyeball recognition).
Want more Galaxy S10 news? We've collated the five hottest new rumours.
The hole punch display we've already seen is present and correct. This takes up less space than a notch, allowing for an all-screen design without sacrificing the front-facing camera.
Hole punch displays are quickly becoming the industry standard among high-end smartphones, with the design being used by Chinese brands Huawei and Honor too.
Expect to see plenty more at next month's Mobile World Congress.
The Galaxy S10 launch takes place on 20th February. We'll be on hand to bring you all the news as it breaks.
Ben Gaskin, via SamMobile


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salvatore ferragamo gamma wallet, Salvatore Ferragamo SF760SEyewear 4 Less
July 19, 2015
The Inside Sport: Why Jay Z Should not Back Out Of Barney’s Deal
This is probably not the prevailing view within the Black community, but I don’t think Jay Z should drop out of his upcoming vacation collaboration with Barney’s. Now earlier than you unleash a barrage of nasty criticism in the remark box, simply hear me out.
Barney’s has come beneath fireplace due to two incidents of racial profiling that lately came to light. Again in April, 19-yr-old Trayon Christian went to the highend retailer’s Madison Avenue flagship retailer to purchase a $349 Ferragamo belt. After making his purchase along with his Chase Bank debit card, the brand new York Metropolis Faculty of Technology student was stopped by two undercover NYPD detectives a block from the store. In an interview with the NY Day by day Information, Trayon mentioned the detectives told salvatore ferragamo gamma wallet him they’d stopped him as a result of someone at the shop reported his debit card as a fake. The detectives then peppered him with questions like “How could you afford a belt like this ” and “Where did you get this cash from ” Regardless of exhibiting the cops two types of identification (a faculty ID and driver’s license), Trayon was handcufffed and taken to a precinct stationhouse the place he was detained for two hours, in line with the discrimination lawsuit he filed towards Barneys and the brand new York City Police Department last week.
Brooklyn resident Kayla Phillips had an analogous expertise at Barney’s in February when she splurged on a $2,500 Celine purse with cash she received from a tax return. Having just opened an account with Bank of America, Kayla used a temporary card given to her by the bank to make the purchase. After leaving the store with the designer bag, she was confronted and grilled at a subway station by a number of undercover police officers who wanted to know the way she might afford the bag and why she paid using a card that didn’t have her name on it. In some unspecified time in the future throughout their trade, Kayla introduced the officers together with her official debit card and a letter stating that she had not but activated it. Kayla plans to sue the NYPD due to the incident, and has already filed a $5 million discover of claim informing the city of her intent.
Not surprisingly, these two controversial occasions have attracted the eye of group acitivists and civil rights groups, including Al Sharpton’s National Motion Community (NAN). Rachel Noerdlinger, a consultant for NAN, said in a press release, “National Action Network will instantly demand a meeting with the Barneys New York CEO.” The organization plans on picketing the store if “the sample of racial profiling will not be instantly rectified.”
As for Jay Z’s position on this saga, the hip-hop mega-mogul has a deal with Barney’s to introduce a collection called “A new York Vacation”. In keeping with the corporate’s website, Barney’s and Jay Z “have partnered with some of probably the most prestigious fashion houses on the earth–Balenciaga, Balmain, Lanvin, The Elder Statesman, En Noir, Hoorsenbuhs, Simply Don (coming quickly!), Proenza Schouler, Rick Owens, Stutterheim, Acne Studios, and Cutler & Gross–to create unique, restricted version products inspired by New York City.” In the wake of the racial profiling incidents, a web-based petition has been created to persuade the Brooklyn native to terminate his relationship with the retailer, and many have known as for Jay Z to again out of the deal. I disagree.
The place some see this as a chance to make use of Jay Z to punish Barney’s, I view this as a possibility to utilize Jay Z’s relationship with Barney’s to bring about change at the very best lever at the storied retailer. Having him within the corner suite where day-to-day choices are made is far more effective than his dropping out of the deal. He has the potential to be an knowledgeable and articulate spokesperson on how destructive it’s for a company like Barney’s to interact in such racially laden habits. The platform of his large fame allows him to influence the higher ups at Barney’s to do higher. You may injure Barney’s within the short term by boycotting and refusing to shop there, but the best option to have a long term influence is thru schooling. The general thought is to use his power to teach. Picketing attracts consideration and should salvatore ferragamo gamma wallet make Barney’s lose a couple of zeroes of their backside line, but a extra thoughtful and strategic means of combatting any such ignorance is through training and understanding. Jay Z is uniquely situated to perform each. The significance of engaged on the inside versus shouting on the skin cannot be underestimated.
In the times since this controversy emerged, Barney’s has issued a press launch stressing their zero tolerance policy on discrimination and stating that they’ll assessment their “practices and procedures as they relate to these issues to make sure that they reflect our continued dedication to fairness and equality.” To that finish, the corporate will work closely with civil rights professional, Michael Yaki, and the Nationwide Motion Community. Over the weekend, Jay Z launched his personal statement concerning the racial brouhaha. Within the rigorously worded assertion posted on his webpage, Jay Z takes difficulty along with his being criticized for not immediately speaking out and terminating his relationship with Barney’s. He concludes his statement by expressing his hope that this controversy brings forth a dialogue to effect real change. It is as much as Jay Z himself to now recognize the function that he can play by utilizing his platform and leverage with Barney’s to effectuate that dialogue.


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Just a day ago, OnePlus confirmed the launch event date for the OnePlus 8T. The device is set to make its debut on October 14, a little less than a month from now. In the meantime, rumours about the upcoming smartphone's expected price and specifications are rampant. Today, another suspected piece of information about the 8T came to light.
According to 91mobiles, Amazon.de - the German variant of the online shopping giant - inadvertently leaked the pricing details of the OnePlus 8T by listing the product on its website. As seen in a screenshot of the alleged leak below, the latest entrant in the OnePlus 8 series will supposedly be priced at €693.18 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The product title also states that the handset will support 5G.
It is worth noting that a small notice below the price states that the given price includes 'temporarily reduced VAT' which only applies to Germany. This indicates that the price in other regions could be more. This is further supported by Twitter leaker Ishan Agarwal who said that the 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage coupling will be priced at €699 in other regions. Meanwhile, both sources report that the lower-tier version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage will be priced at €599 RAM.
Apart from the price and 5G support, other details revealed by the suspected Amazon leak are a 6.55-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 65W Warp Charging, dual SIM support, a quad-camera setup, an Aquamarine Green colour option, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. A launch date of October 20, 2020, is also mentioned.
Much of what was revealed by today's report has already been heard of before, such as the quad-camera setup which is believed to include a 48MP camera. Judging by the consistency of the rumours, it is likely that these details are close to the truth. Everything will be confirmed once the OnePlus 8T is officially revealed on October 14 next month.


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Guitiérrez, who is also a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico, said the PT wishes to promote cooperation programmes between the two Parties as well as with Hai Phong, especially in fields that have seen fruitful partnerships, including acupuncture, communications, and personnel training.
These partnerships have helped promote Vietnam’s image in Mexico and Latin America, and assisted the PT in promoting its reputation in its country and the region, he noted, suggesting cooperation be expanded to new areas that match both sides’ strengths and potential.
Expressing his hope for increased cooperation between the two countries, including between Mexico and Hai Phong, Quang said his city always welcomes and will provide the best possible conditions for Mexican enterprises and investors to operate.
Hai Phong currently does not have any FDI projects from Mexican investors.
In 2021, exports to Mexico through Hai Phong Port surpassed 17.8 million USD, while imports were valued at more than 13,000 USD. In the first nine months of 2022, Vietnam’s shipments to this market through the port city topped 16 million USD, and imports approximated 132,000 USD.
The main exports include electrical devices and components (about 57%), footwear (18%), stationery (13%), and textiles and garments (9%). Meanwhile, the main imports from Mexico through the port were railway spare parts (93%) and processed food (7%), statistics showed.